


It's Not The Fall, It's The Landing

by indiefic



Category: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-30 21:16:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8549413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiefic/pseuds/indiefic
Summary: He wishes like hell the splicer had culled the half-albino runt, rather than taking a chance on him.  It would have spared them all so much heartache.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MotherHulda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotherHulda/gifts).



“You stupid, stubborn son of a bitch,” Stinger swears, dragging Caine into the spare room and dropping him onto the bed.  He stands there, looking down at Caine, breathing hard, heartbroken.  There’s blood all down the front of Caine, and only part of it is his own.  A good portion is Entitled blood.  And for that, they will all pay.

Kiza is there, in the doorway, watching, her expression wary.  “Da?”

Stinger looks at her over his shoulder and nods.  “Get the supplies, will ya, love?”

 

* * *

 

It’s a long night, at the end of a long day, and a battle that feels like it has stretched out for eons.  Stinger has lost count of how many times he’s done this.  How many times he’s spent the night praying, trying to patch this dumb cur back together.  But he always does it.  And later, he always wonders if it was worth it.

This time is worse than it’s ever been, worse than Singer dreamed possible.  And he knows, in his heart, that it wasn’t worth it.  He wishes like hell the splicer had culled the half-albino runt, rather than taking a chance on him.  It would have spared them all so much heartache.

“You stupid son of a bitch,” he curses again.  But what he means is don’t you dare leave me, you stupid mutt.  

When he hangs his head and weeps bitter tears, it’s Kiza’s hand on his shoulder.

 

* * *

 

“They’re going to take him, aren’t they?” Kiza asks.

Stinger nods, pretending like hell that the idea isn’t tearing him in two.  Bee splices don’t have packs.  But a hive isn’t so different.  Stinger knows he and Kiza became Caine’s pack.

What the hell is this goddamned lycantant splice is going to do without a pack?  That’s going to be harder on Caine than losing his wings, than losing the Legion.  How many times can a cur be culled before he finally gives up?

“He’ll be court martial most likely,” Stinger says gruffly.  “Stripped and clipped, thrown in some dank hole until he’s so far gone not even a recode will bring him back.  I’ve seen what happens to lycantants in solitary.  It isn’t pretty.”

Kiza’s hands are tight on the back of the chair.  “Do you think he’ll make it?”

Stinger opens his mouth and then snaps it shut.  He shrugs.  He wants to lie to Kiza, to tell her it will be okay, they’ll find a way.  But he can’t.  “I don’t know.”

Kiza’s features are pinched, her hands wringing together.  She puts on such a brave face that he often forgets just how young she is.  “What about us?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t know, love.  But he’s my responsibility.  You know that.”

 

* * *

 

Stinger should call it in.  He  _ has _ to call it in.  But, instead, he sits there in the rickety chair next to the bed where Caine sleeps, waiting and watching.

 

* * *

 

Caine groans and rolls over onto his uninjured side.  The Sargorn bodyguards did a number on him after he attacked the Entitled.  He blinks up at Stinger and sighs, rubbing his hand over his face.  “I suppose I really fucked it up this time.”

“Yeah, you did,” Stinger says, unable to disguise the anger in his voice.  

Caine takes a deep breath and seems to reevaluate the situation.  He watches Stinger for several long moments, his entire manner sobering.  “What happened?” he asks, rubbing at his eyes.  “I don’t remember anything.  Did I get in a fight?”

Stinger laughs bitterly.  “I was really hoping you could tell me that,” he says.  “I’d been looking for you all night.  Couldn’t find you, and then I heard.  You tore out the throat of a goddamned Entitled is what you did, you dumb cur.”

Caine’s eyes narrow in confusion as he looks at Stinger.  “An Entitled?”

Stinger nods.  “Not just any Entitled.  Balem fucking Abrasax, the first primary of House Abrasax.  You’ll be lucky if they don’t snip and clip more than just your wings.”

Caine gives him a look he can’t read.  “Are you talking about my balls, or my neck?”

“Either,” Stinger admits.  “Doesn’t matter.”

Caine sighs again.  “I’m pretty fond of both myself,” he says, trying for levity.  He looks over at Stinger.  “Pretty sure you are too.”  He reaches out for Stinger and Stinger bats his hand away.

“Hey,” Caine chides.  “Come on, I know I fucked up.”

Stinger shakes his head in disgust, standing.  “You didn’t just fuck up, Caine.  You fucked all of us.”

 

* * *

 

Kiza’s in the kitchen, leaning back against the cabinets, her arms crossed over her chest and a worried expression on her face.  “This isn’t like him, you know,” she says.

Stinger knows Kiza’s right.  Caine’s a hothead with a chip on his shoulder.  And he has no love for Entitleds.  But he isn’t an idiot.  And he wouldn’t put his pack at risk unnecessarily.

“Does he know what happened?” Kiza asks.

Stinger shakes his head.  “Says he doesn’t remember.”

“We could run, we could - “

“Don’t say it, love,” Stinger says, cutting her off.  “I won’t hear a word of it.  I’m not going to drag you across the galaxy trying to outrun the Aegis for the rest of my days because Caine got his back up about goddamned Abrasax.”  

He shakes his head.  It’s time.  Putting it off won’t do anything but prolong the pain.  He moves toward his bedroom.  “I’ll call it in.”

 

* * *

 

Kiza’s sitting on the bed next to Caine when Stinger darkens the doorway.  She looks up and then stands without a word, pushing past him and out into the hallway.  Slowly, Stinger crosses the room, taking the place Kiza just vacated, rather than the chair.  He runs his hands over Caine’s wounds, which are already mostly healed.  Kiza used the last of the nectar on him and Stinger wishes he could be angry about that.

“They’re not going to take it easy on you,” Stinger says firmly.  “You know how much people love to watch a Skyjacker fall.”

Caine swallows thickly and stares up at the ceiling.  He nods.  Cautiously, he covers Stinger’s hand with his own.  When Stinger doesn’t pull away, he looks at him, holding his gaze.  “I’m sorry,” he says.  And Stinger knows he doesn’t mean he’s sorry for ripping out an Entitled’s throat.  He’s sorry for what it’s cost his pack.

Stinger leans in, breathing hard.  “You stupid son of a bitch.”  He kisses Caine, hard, all teeth and tongue.  His hand cups the side of Caine’s face.  And when he pulls back, his face is wet with tears.

 

END STORY


End file.
